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  • November 11, 2009 |

    On the bright side

    It seems lawyers are a lot less angry than expected about the personal consequences of the economic downturn, based on responses in this year's Employee Satisfaction Report. The findings of the report, published by Legal Week Intelligence earlier this year, were discussed at a roundtable held, in association with Hays Legal, on 13 October.

    1 minute read

  • November 6, 2009 |

    Dentons boosts first-half revenues by 3.5% to reach £87.7m

    Denton Wilde Sapte has shaken off the impact of the downturn to increase revenues by 3.5% during the first half of 2009-10. The top 20 City firm recorded fee income of £87.7m for the six-month period, up from last year's figure of £84.7m. Dentons attributed the growth during the first half of the financial year to its international offices, which brought in 32% of total fee income over the period, with the UK also seeing higher activity levels than this time last year.

    1 minute read

  • November 4, 2009 |

    Editor's comment: Glass half full

    Welcome once again to the season for first-half financial results, an event that requires more art than science to deduce anything useful. But though the indications that do emerge are considerably rougher around the edges than the full-year results, they have historically proved a pretty accurate guide to the way the year is shaping up.

    1 minute read

  • November 2, 2009 |

    Bird & Bird makes up three partners outside of usual promotions round

    Bird & Bird has made up three new partners outside of the firm's regular promotions round. The promotions, which took effect yesterday (1 November), see one new partner made up in each of the firm's Finland, Spain and Sweden offices.

    1 minute read

  • October 28, 2009 |

    Bird & Bird eyes LDP conversion to promote foreign lawyers

    Bird & Bird is considering converting to a legal disciplinary partnership (LDP) in a move that could make it one of the largest UK law firms to do so. The top 15 firm is in the early stages of discussions that could enable a number of additional lawyers to join its partnership.

    1 minute read

  • October 23, 2009 |

    Law Firm of the Year – why they made the shortlist

    As previously mentioned, this year Legal Week's editorial team has taken a more hands-on role in helping to draw up the shortlists for the 2009 British Legal Awards. The clearest example of that is for arguably the biggest award of the night, Law Firm of the Year, for which there are no submissions. Instead, the editorial team have drawn up the shortlist for our judging panel of senior clients and industry veterans.

    1 minute read

  • October 21, 2009 |

    Major UK firms cut back profit payouts amid tough markets

    Major UK firms including Pinsent Masons and CMS Cameron McKenna are among the growing rank of firms either holding back or reducing partner profit distributions as a result of the recession. Top 15 firms Pinsents and DLA Piper have both withheld profit distributions in recent months. Pinsents has withheld its last two quarterly profit distributions, with the firm attributing the "profits distribution holiday" to a series of management responses to the recession. It is due to make its next quarterly payment as planned in December.

    1 minute read

  • October 9, 2009 |

    Leading firms nominated for 2009 British Legal Awards

    Allen & Overy (A&O), Bird & Bird and Norton Rose are among the nominees for a series of accolades at the 2009 British Legal Awards. The trio have been shortlisted for the prestigious Law Firm of the Year award alongside Cleary Gottlieb Steen & Hamilton, Clyde & Co, Kennedys and Stephenson Harwood. Norton Rose has also been nominated for a further two awards, including M&A Team of the Year, while Bird & Bird has secured nominations in three other categories, including Commercial Team of the Year.

    1 minute read

  • October 6, 2009 |

    Survey of UK lawyers identifies top-rated legal employers

    Linklaters, SJ Berwin and Berwin Leighton Paisner are among a select band of 16 law firms that have been named as Best Legal Employers by Legal Week. The grouping contains representatives from across the Legal Week UK top 50, ranging from international firms such as Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer and Norton Rose to regional firms including Hill Dickinson and Weightmans. The London office of New York-based Weil Gotshal and Manges is the only US firm on the list.

    1 minute read

  • September 30, 2009 |

    Raft of top City firms call for partners to tighten up billing

    A raft of top 15 firms have been tightening up billing procedures and piling pressure on partners to improve collections in response to the recession. City firms including Herbert Smith, Lovells, CMS Cameron McKenna and Bird & Bird are among those trying to bill more efficiently, both to improve cash flow and to limit risk from clients who may be unable to pay.

    1 minute read